


the lightning strike

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Emotionally Crippled Erik, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 03:04:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/908143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a cold November day, two men met for the first time in the cool air of the Library's Media department. </p><p>Once upon a time, these two men found something that neither expected, but each craved in different ways.</p><p>This is the story of how to lone men became something else, and something <i>more</i> to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the lightning strike

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tsubame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsubame/gifts).



> Based on this prompt:
> 
> ['alea iacta est'](http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/7634.html?thread=13558738#t13558738) is one of my absolute favorite fics, abandoned far too soon (although what's there is in no other way unsatisfying, in my opinion). And it had the strange effect of making me desperately eager for other fics where Erik is the younger one in the relationship. Alas this seems rather rare in those fics where age difference is a factor-- so that is what I'd like to see. Not so-called Lolita fic, not principal!kink or student!kink, but a relationship where Erik is the younger one. I am so happy to see this come up when it (very rarely) does, it will absolutely make my week. :-D
> 
> -
> 
> I didn't know if you were still looking for a/o, but I chose to just ignore that for the time being.

Once upon a lazy November day, Erik Lehnsherr, harried and wary freshman, walked into the library and all but collapsed into a chair on the floor where the media was housed.

Charles Xavier, put-together and collected, noticed the collapse and felt as if the poor student needed help. His station as the Media Librarian was filled with enough snacks - all made with natural sugars and as vegan-friendly as possible - and with a few options in hand, he walked over to where the student had collapsed.

“Will this help?” he asked, as he took in the appearance of his newest charge. The boy was nearly soaked from the snow that had started to fall, wearing only a henley and jeans that were glued onto skin.

There was no real answer, just a grumble and a hand that nearly clawed at Charles’ sweater before managing to extract one pack of snacks. 

“This will help,” Charles tried again, hoping that the boy’s face would show soon enough if only because the boy would take his head off the desk. “My side of the library is only open until ten, so I hope that you can get whatever help you might need by then.”

Another grumble came from the boy and Charles walked away, hoping that a spike in glucose was all he needed.

-

Once again on that lazy November day, Erik Lehnsherr crawled out of his self-imposed mania and looked around.

He shivered at the cold that still seeped into his skin and he wondered where the nice man who had offered the snacks had gone. His face had looked familiar, but Erik found that most of the students and staff blended together after all the time he spent trying to avoid them.

There was a project to put together in a few hours and maybe he could finish his reading before Seb came home in his usual drunk and annoying state.

Walking to the front desk, Erik silently prayed that the man who had helped him before would be there now.

“Excuse me. I need help with a project for my English 119 class.” He didn’t bother with the bell because the room was filled with people who were intent on their computers.

“What film did you choose?” the man who had brought the snacks asked. 

“Dr. Strangelove,” Erik said.

-

Once again upon that November day, Charles slumped his shoulders and willed away the tension. 

Helping Erik - the boy who all but finished his project on fumes alone - had been nothing out of the ordinary for him.

It was only when Erik said, “I kinda hate my roommate and I don’t think I can stand another night of him having sex in the room with me in it. Can I come to your place?” that Charles took notice of Erik’s figure and how attractive he was.

There were very broad shoulders compared to his almost non-existent waist, and tightly wound muscles that were begging for a good shower and a good night’s sleep.

“My housemate might mind, but I can’t let you go back to a roommate who didn’t even let you leave earlier with a jacket.”

Erik mumbled something before he looked at his Prezi on the symbolism of the body in _Dr. Stranglelove_. 

Later, when he stood up and walked back to Charles’ station, Erik said, “If you won’t get in trouble with your housemate, thank you for letting me come over.”

“I own the property, so he can’t actually complain that much. But let’s go before the library closes properly and we’re left here alone.”

-

Once upon a November day, much like the day before, Erik woke feeling like his life had turned around. Charles, the Media Librarian, had been so nice to him, far too nice for a boy who shouldn’t be at a university this well-respected.

Seb’s treatment was what he should expect, just as he had always been handled by everyone else.

But in Charles, Erik found someone who didn’t care that he was here on a secret merit scholarship given by the President personally and someone who didn’t mind that he knew nothing about post-modernism or Faust.

Erik wanted to stay with Charles, he realized after Charles had made him breakfast. There had never been a chance for Erik to understand his own sexuality before this because his family had all but forced him to go on dates with some of the local girls when he had thought to go out to a dance at all. In college, though, he was free to do as he wished because he would never have to tell his parents, even if they did ask.

Saying nothing after breakfast, Erik tried to find a way to walk upstairs towards the shared bathroom, but just as he got to the door, he was greeted by the gruff and intimidating Logan from the Student Union.

“Bub, why are you here?” he asked.

“Charles let me stay over and I wanted to shower before going to the dorms.”

“So, you’re a student?”

“I’m not as old as either of you so why wouldn’t I be?” Erik didn’t mean to sound petulant, but he was annoyed, even after the night’s sleep and the homemade breakfast.

“Chuck’s choices are his own,” Logan said before he walked away and left Erik to the bathroom.

-

Once upon a December day, Charles wished that he had said something more to Erik a few weeks before. The boy had been a charming and delightful guest, and a perfect foil to Charles’ mood that night. For where Charles was easy-going, Erik wanted to push - his project being completed in a few hours evidence enough of that - and it struck Charles that he was lonely.

Logan was his housemate, of course, but they was never going to be anything between them.

But in Erik, Charles saw that there was a hesitance and an honesty that wanted to come out, even if Erik didn’t know it.

Or maybe Erik didn’t know it yet.

Charles focused on those two ideas instead of the one where Erik knew what he wanted and hadn’t acted upon it for some silly reason that boiled down to their age difference or how dating a school employee would endanger his scholarship.

Those two ideas were far easier to understand.

-

Once upon a December day just before the semester ended, Erik walked into the Media Library as if he were about to seize all the DVDs in the back and take over the school. In truth, he had no desire to claim that many DVDs, but he did want to steal someone away from the first basement level of the library.

Since he had left Charles’ home, Erik had come to realize just how miserable he was with Seb as a roommate. Not just because Seb had no problem having sex with him in the room or because Seb would lock him out regularly before class, but because he was learning what he wanted and what he didn’t want from people.

Charles’ help with the English 119 project had showed him that people were interested in helping him, and so he had spent time thinking about how much he wanted more of that.

Seb’s constant sexcapades and abuse also told Erik that he needed something good in his life. The only good he could imagine, though, was Charles.

But, he had no idea how to say that. He did better with action, he knew, given that that’s how he managed to get into Charles’ home that one night. 

So, with determination, Erik knew that making a loud and noticeable entrance into the Media Library would only lead to one thing: he was going to show Charles what he wanted and hoped that it wasn’t going to get him, or Charles, in trouble.

Not bothering with the bell, Erik waited until the entire floor started to murmur and Charles walked out. 

“Can I help you?” Charles asked, as if this meeting was like every other meeting Charles had with students during his shifts.

Erik said nothing, though and just pushed himself closer towards the desk and into Charles’ space. He managed to graze his lips against Charles’ and felt as if the world had spun around and changed right there.

No longer was Erik going to let people like Seb walk all over him because there was someone like Charles to take care of him.

Erik had to pull back from the kiss - the damned desk was too tall - but just as soon as his feet hit the floor again, he heard Charles move around and come out into Erik’s space. With no time to think, Erik felt Charles’ lips all but crush his and then he wanted to forget everything that wasn’t Charles.

-

Once upon a time in January, Charles lounged in his - no their - bed and felt at peace. With a few strings just at the end of the semester and over break, Erik had been given a way out of his on-campus housing and Charles had happily said that he wanted to try living with Erik right now.

The decision to move in so quickly hadn’t been easy, but in lazy moments like this one, everything felt like it would be.

They were together, and even if they fought, they were making something _together_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [redacted] for the beta help, and to a few other people for moral support.


End file.
